Heavy Rain II: The Butcher
by KRD2
Summary: It's been six months since the Origami Incident, and there's a new killer on the loose. Follow Norman Jayden, as well as rookie Det. Lucas Cruz, recovered drug addict Victoria Gartner, investigative journalist Doyle G. Cook, and others along the way to solving this new case. This thriller will grab you and pull you in, leaving you wanting more, and is definitely worth the read!
1. Chapter 1-A New Case

Thanks for reading this story! I hope you enjoy it. I'll be releasing parts whenever I can, so please favorite and follow it if you want updates. Please review so I can know what I need to do to make this story the best possible. Thanks!

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Norman Jayden

Sunday, April 12, 2012

2:45 a.m.

The Central Park Carousel

"ARI comment, victim's name is Tyler Barns, age 18, clean record, no local family. He goes to…Hunter College, lives in an apartment not far from there." Special Agent Norman Jayden of the FBI recorded his initial findings into his Added Reality Interface, or ARI for short. ARI was his special companion, his dirty little secret, the cause of his horrible addiction, the addiction that caused him to go absolutely crazy, seeing hallucinations of little tanks that he should've only seen with Ari. Well, it WAS the cause of his addiction, along with Triptocane, but he had kicked that, flushed it straight down the toilet. Now without the Tripto, Jayden hadn't gone through withdraw in 5 months and 7 days. He'd been counting.

Jayden continued with his investigation, "The body is located on the Central Park Carousel. That's only a couple miles from the college, even less from his apartment…..interesting. I need to check out that apartment."

Norman was one of the best agents in the Bureau, and one of the most well-known. 6 months ago was when he hit it big. The Origami Incident, as he now referred to it, had been his claim to fame, Norman "single-handedly" catching the Origami Killer, Private Detective and former police officer Scott Shelby, and defeating him in a one-on-one battle atop a trash conveyor belt, leading to a waste compactor. I think you can tell how that one ended.

"Good god….ARI comment, cause of death seems to be exsanguination due to the multiple hack, slash, and stab wounds covering the victims face, neck, and torso. This is could be the modus operandi of the Butcher of Manhattan." The Butcher of Manhattan. A name Jayden had been hearing a lot for the past couple weeks. This guy got off on the pain of others, torturing them, killing them very slowly. His victims are always mutilated, their bodies littered with wounds from sharp objects. If this is the Butcher, this'll be victim number 6.

"From the looks of the cutting marks, it appears that the murder weapon was a serrated combat knife or machete…damn, it's too dark to tell." The murder weapon had still not determined. It had to be hand crafted, as there were no matches to it anywhere that Jayden could find. " I'll have to pick up the coroner's report after the autopsy, see if this one had some identifiable markings on him. Alright, that's it on the body, now to the surrounding area."

As Norman began to scan the carousel, he heard the all too familiar "whoop" of police sirens, and the flash of the car lights, signaling his exclusive, red carpet investigation of the crime scene was over. He whipped around right as the usual questions start flying.

"HEY! Who the fuck are you?" the fat cop, doughnut in hand, screamed as he approached the guy in the suit, who he had never seen. He hated suits. They always got in the way.

"Special Agent Norman Jayden, I work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I'm here to inves…"

"Great, we got a Bureau guy here. Hey Tommy, you hear that? We got a freaking Bureau guy here." The fat cop interrupted Jayden, which he did not appreciate in the slightest. Did this fat ass know who he was?

"I freaking hate the Bureau!" This so called Tommy guy screamed from his car. Jayden didn't get what it is with these grunt cops and hating the Bureau, but he was getting sick and tired of it. They could at least talk about him behind his back, that way he didn't have to hear the bull crap spewing all over the place.

"Look, I'm just going to get out of your hair. I got all I need for now. Here's my card, contact me when you learn something." Jayden said as he made a beeline for his car. He needed to get out of here before he snapped on these cops. Ever since the Origami Incident, with his good "pal" Carter Blake, it seemed like he didn't trust cops, and cops definitely didn't trust him

He left his card on the dashboard of the fat one's car. He doubted that someone as stupid as that knew how to use a cell phone, let alone would find anything that he hadn't, so he was pretty much wasting a perfectly good piece of paper.

He had almost gotten to his car when he saw them. Reporters. The scum of the Earth. And they were blocking his car in. And that's when he heard it, the questions he got every time: "Norman, what can you tell us about the current case?!" and "Norman, how are you doing (insert amount of time) after the Origami Incident?"

"Do you not get by now that I'm not at liberty to discuss current investigations?" Norman screamed to himself. He never addressed the second question. For the past six months, all he's heard about is how he "singlehandedly" defeated the Origami Killer, Scott Shelby, and saved Shaun Mars' life, which, is not true. He had the much needed help of Ethan Mars, Shaun's father, and Madison Mars (formerly Madison Paige), a former war correspondent/investigative journalist turned local news columnist and Ethan's wife.

Norman got in his car, successfully dodging the microphones, cameras, and questions and drove away. Now he could finally have the peace and quiet he so desperately needed. He decided to review the facts he had so far.

"Alright Norman," he said to himself, about to try and make sense of this mess, "let's review the facts. ARI, personal comment. It looks like this is the doing of the Butcher of Manhattan, but I can't be certain on that. We don't actually know if there is a 'Butcher of Manhattan', all we have is 5 unsolved cases that seem to have a connecting MO, in that the victims are brutally stabbed to death, and they have a typed letter folded up in their right hands. The letter is a different quote from a different source of media every time, and there is no correlation at all between the quotes. But this kid had no paper on him, not in his hand, not in his pocket, nowhere. For the first time in a while, I feel stumped. This is an all too real reminder of the shit I went through during the Origami Affair. Right now, the only thing I have to go on is the assumption this is the work of the Butcher of Manhattan and the location of Tyler's apartment. I guess that's where I start." And that's where Norman did start. Right after breakfast…


	2. Chapter 2-The Apartment

Sorry about the wait for Chapter 2, I'm hoping to be able to write more often with finals over with. So, without further ado, Chapter 2!

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Norman Jayden

Sunday, April 12, 2012

4:00 a.m.

161 East 77th Street (Victim's Apartment)

Norman pulled up to Tyler's apartment after eating breakfast and leaving the small diner on 73rd Street. The apartment complex was just what he expected, run down and very slummy looking. Jayden entered the building, and was immediately greeted with a welcoming "Hello" from the man behind the counter, who he guessed was the graveyard shift door man.

"Hello", Jayden says, walking up to the counter, "I'm looking for Tyler Barns, he's a good friend of mine."

"Oh, I'm sorry Mr…."

"Jayden. Norman Jayden"

"Well, Mr. Jayden, I'm terribly sorry, but Mr. Barns is not home, nor are you on his guest list," the doorman said.

"Guest list?" Norman thought to himself, "What rundown slum has a guest lists, or a door man for that matter…?" Norman knew he would have to make something good up.

"Well can't you make an exception this once? I left my laptop in his apartment, and I need it ASAP. I have a meeting in 3 hours." Norman said, attempting to guilt-trip the door man.

"Oh, why didn't you say so? Go on ahead! Here." The door man said, handing him a key to room 4B.

"Thank you sir, you're a life saver!" Jayden said, which he didn't mean. What he really meant to say was, "Wow. You are gullible.", but that wasn't a good idea at the time.

Jayden made his way up to the apartment, put the key into the door, and opened it. He began to search the apartment for any clues that may help his investigation. He found a laptop, which he knew would be easy to sneak out.

"Damn! It's password protected."

Jayden also found a photo of the victim and a girl, who could be anything from his girlfriend to his sister. He was betting on the former.

"What the hell?"

Norman noticed a crack, or rather a missing piece of glass, in the corner of the frame. He stuck his pinkie finger in under the glass and lifted up, and the glass popped out of the frame. He lifted the picture out, and behind it was a note, folded in half and half again. Jayden unfolded the note, which read, "Talent is something rare and beautiful and precious, and it must not be allowed to go to waste."

"Hm….a George Selden quote. Much less grim than the others...the others...wait…..oh my god! This is the paper that was supposed to be on the body….unless…..he wasn't the target! And that also means the killer was here before me! ARI, comment, Tyler Barns may not be the target of this murder. I believe it is the women in this picture. I have an idea. ARI, do a facial recognition scan on this photo"

Jayden scanned the photo using ARI, and two names popped up. One was expected, Tyler Barns, student extraordinaire. But the other he never saw coming. The other name - was Amanda Blake.


	3. Chapter 3-Amanda

Thanks again for reading my story so far. It will not just be Jayden, there will be branching story lines with multiple characters. Please review my story or PM what you think, what I need to change, etc. Thanks!

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Norman Jayden

Sunday, April 12, 2012

4:30 a.m.

Manhattan Area

"Shit!" Norman screamed as he flew through the streets of Manhattan in his car, "Amanda Blake could be anywhere in the whole city of New York! How in the hell am I going to find her. Alright, think Norman!" But the thought most prominent in his mind was the last name of this new person of interest. It couldn't be…..could it?

"Ok, so Amanda goes to Hunter College, dates Tyler Barns, who lives here…" Jayden says looking at his ARI HUD, "… and I've found numerous Facebook pictures showing what locations the couple frequents. They never leave a 20 mile radius. Now, by extended logic, with locations of apartments within the radius, yet close to the college and Barn's apartment, she lives in one of…..4 places. 4 fucking places. DAMMIT!"

"Wait….'Talent is something rare and beautiful and precious, and it must not be allowed to go to waste', it's a quote from 'The Cricket in Times Square'. That's it; her apartment is in Times Square! Which of these is…..The Baltimore? That's it!" Jayden said, finally figuring out his destination. "271 W 47th St, New York, NY." Yet the only address running through his mind was 852 Theodore Roosevelt Road. Oh the memories.

Jayden arrived at The Baltimore within the hour. He rushed into the apartment complex and rushed up to the desk. "Now this kind of place would have a guest list" Jayden thought.

Norman decided to take the direct approach with this doorman, "Norman Jayden, FBI," he said flashing his badge, "I need to see Amanda Blake immediately, if not sooner. Her life may be in danger."

"Sir, I wish I could help you, but she literally just walked out the door. At about 4:25." It was now 4:40.

"Where was she going?" Jayden asked.

"I don't know, but here, take a room key. I don't want to cause trouble. She's on the second floor, to the left."

Jayden bolted off up the stairs. He reached her room, and fumbled open the door as quickly as possible. In the apartment he found a mini calendar, showing a meeting at a coffee shop named "CyberBeans" at 4:45 a.m. He also found what appeared to be a work shirt that said "The German Coffee House", which, ironically, was not the other coffee shop. Someone's looking for a new job.

So Jayden knew where she would be, well generally. She's either still at the meeting or at her job, with a spare work shirt. He left the room, politely thanked the doorman and rushed to his car. Two minutes later, he was at the CyberBeans Coffee Shop. He showed Amanda's picture to every person in the café, and got nothing but blank stares. Except for from the general manager.

"Yes, yes, I know her. She had a job interview here about, oh ten minutes ago. Why, is she in trouble? Or in danger? Oh I hope…"

"She'll be fine, sir." Jayden said reassuringly, "I'll see to that."

And with that, the kind FBI agent left to save another life, at another coffee shop, three minutes away, named the German Coffee House.

Norman arrived with haste, just as he left, and rushed in to the coffee house, which was prepping for business. This made him wonder why the other coffee shop was open at such a god awful hour of 5:00 a.m. Then again, he'd been up since 2.

"Amanda Blake, has she arrived for work?!" Jayden said flashing his badge.

Puzzled stares. Again. And again the general manager came to the rescue, saying, "She's out back on the phone."

So Jayden did what he's been doing all day, rushing. What a great fucking day he's been having. And this time, he was glad he did.

"HELP ME! HELP!" He heard coming from the alleyway.

In it, he saw a young, beautiful women, mid-20's at best, being attacked by a slim figure in a shady mask with a dark black hoodie. He had a knife. A rather large one

"Shut the fuck up, you stupid bitch! Die with dignity!"

Could this be the Butcher? This scrawny little punk, who is trying to sloppily murder this woman, a brutal, calculated genius? Jayden thought not, but ever since the Origami Incident, he knew he was no judge of character.

So, in this split second between life and death for this girl, who may or may not be the daughter of Carter Blake, Jayden reacted. He lashed out with a right hook, catching the murderer off guard, hitting him square in the jaw. The man fell with a thud, his weapon sliding and hitting a dumpster. Amanda ran around to the front of the shop and hid. The attacker rebounded quite quickly, Jayden being caught off guard this time, being tackled to the ground. The killer proceeded to pound Norman's face in, Norman only catching about half of the punches before they landed full force. Luckily, Norman was able to throw a lucky and unexpected right hook, again catching the attacker in the jaw, rising to continue the assault. The murderer threw a punch, and Norman was able to duck it, striking the killer twice in the stomach with a left jab. The killer retreated in pain, falling back onto the dumpster, giving Norman time to draw his weapon. He lined up a kill shot to the chest, and as he was about to pull the trigger, he hesitated, remembering the time holding his fire saved an innocent, confused life. In that split second, the attacker retrieved his weapon from the ground by the dumpster, throwing it, hitting Jayden's hand, sending his service piece spiraling out of the alleyway, and the killer's weapon landing on the ground. Jayden recoiled in pain, his hand slightly bleeding. In one swift motion, the murderer power slammed Norman into the ground and grabbed his homemade, serrated weapon and pressed it to Jayden's throat. And then a shot rang out. The attacker fell backwards with a thud. Jayden turned around to see Amanda holding his smoking service weapon, and when he turned back around, the attacker was gone.

"Whe…whe…where'd he go?" Amanda asked Norman. This was the first time he heard her voice, well, minus her cries for help.

"I don't know, but you need to come with me. You're in danger. I'm Agent Norman Jayden, with the FBI. You can trust me."

"Ok…..ok…just take me somewhere safe."

"Don't worry, I will."


	4. Chapter 4-Cruz

Here's the updated extended chapter 4. Enjoy!

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Detective Lucas Cruz

Sunday, April 12, 2012

6:00 a.m.

Philadelphia Precinct

Rookie Detective Lucas Cruz entered the precinct for his first day as a Detective. Previously a beat-cop, Lucas had finally secured a job right where he wanted it, at a Detective's desk.

Lucas went straight to Captain Leighton Perry's office to get his assignment, both partner-wise and case-wise.

As he was making his way across the floor, he stopped to grab a cup of coffee in the small kitchenette. He took a huge swig of the coffee, and immediately spit it out.

"BLEGH! Jesus, this coffee is fucking disgusting!" Lucas said in surprise.

"Hahaha! You must be a rookie!" another, more distinguished looking cop said, "The name's Carter. Carter Blake."

"Lucas Cruz" He said, shaking this Blake guy's hand. He got a very friendly vibe from him.

"So, Lucas, is this your first day as a detective? I haven't seen you around here."

"Yeah, it is."

"Knew it! You should go see Captain Perry; he'll give you your assignments." Carter said, turning to walk to his desk, "Hey Ash, you may be getting a new rookie! HAHA!"

So Lucas did what Mr. Veteran Blake said. He went and saw Captain Perry. As he approached Perry's office, the door opened.

"Oh, there you are Mr. Cruz! I'm Leighton Perry, Captain of this precinct."

"Hello, Captain Perry, I can see you already know who I am."

"Yes, of course I do. I also already know your assignment. You are now partners with Detective Carter Blake, and you already have a case. Go easy on Blake, ok. He isn't the best people's person."

"Wait, Blake? Don't you think I should start small time?"

"No, I don't. Blake, come here!"

"Yeah, coming! Hey Rookie. Yes Captain?" Blake said.

"Blake, meet your new partner, Lucas Cruz."

"Captain, I don't do partners." Blake said assertively.

"Blake, in my defense, I'm willing to do anything to get the job done" said Lucas in defense.

"You know what rookie, I'll give you a shot, ok. But if you fuck anything up, I swear to god, you're done." Blake assured the rookie. Lucas saw a side of Blake he had yet to see. The fucked up side. "Now get to my squad car, we have a case to solve."

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Detective Lucas Cruz

Sunday, April 12, 2012

6:30 a.m.

Philadelphia Railroad: Green Line Track #23

Blake and Cruz pulled up to the crime scene in Blake's cruiser. The setting of the crime scene brought Blake back to 6 months ago; to the first case he worked with that bastard Norman Jayden. Oh how he wished Jayden would've died in pursuit of the Origami Killer, which a wish that he was not proud of. He was still blown away by the fact that Scott Shelby, his friend and ex-partner, was killing children.

The two cops exited the car as it started to rain on the crime scene. Rain, on a crime scene, in a ditch, near a train line. Blake hoped to god that the victim wasn't a kid.

"You alright, Blake? You look a little pale." Cruz asked.

"Yeah kid, I'm fine. It's just, I got a weird feeling about this case. It's too reminiscent of the Jeremy Bowles case, the last case I worked before the Origami Incident really took off."

"I'm sure it's just coincidence Blake. Come on, let's see what's going on."

The sun had just started to rise on the scene as Cruz and Blake started investigating. The body was lying about 20 feet from the tracks. She was young, about 22 or so, had beautiful eyes and long blond hair, and looked like she belonged in a nice, clean, upscale neighborhood, not lying dead near a train track. She was another one taken too young.

"Victim's name is Carol Douglass, age 21. She has a clean record. I'm going to guess this wasn't premeditated" Cruz said to Blake.

"Why do you say that?" Blake questioned.

"Look at her. She's a young girl. Do you think she has enemies?"

"Rookie, we can never know what kinda' person she was, we didn't know her. She could've been the biggest bitch you've ever seen."

"Ok Blake, fine. We believe she was a terrible person until proven otherwise. Now, I'll examine the dead girl, you search around the scene" Cruz said, directing Blake. Blake didn't like that at all.

Cruz started examining the body, "Cause of death seems to be multiple stab wounds to the chest. Jesus, this guy went to town. I think I've heard something about this modus operandi being seen up in New York. Hmm..what is this?"

Cruz noticed a small note in the victim's chest pocket. He took it out to read it. It read, "You're next, Blake".


	5. Chapter 5-Off the Record

Detective Lucas Cruz

As always, enjoy (and please review!)!

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Sunday, April 12, 2012

6:35 a.m.

Philadelphia Railroad: Green Line Track #23

"Blake!" Detective Cruz screamed out, "Got your ass over here!"

"What is it rookie? What is all the fuss about?"

"Ok, you aren't going to believe this. I got my hands on a file a couple weeks back, a file about the Butcher of Manhattan, a killer from up in New York. Victims were killed the same exact way as our vic, and had paper notes with book or movie quotes. So on a hunch, and I mean a hunch, I checked the victim's hand. In it, I found this."

Cruz handed Blake the piece of paper that read "You're next, Blake", and Blake's jaw dropped immediately. He thought to himself the possibilities of who would want to kill him, but he couldn't think of any one specific person, well, that was still alive. Blake immediately stuck the paper in his pocket.

"Blake, we need to give that to evidence, it's part of the…"

"SHUT UP, KID! I'm thinking." Blake snapped out. Cruz was definitely not expecting this, and was caught off guard. "Shit…..um…kid, how many sick days do you have stocked up from being a beat cop. Sick days, vacation days, favors from officers you gave blowies to, anything?!"

"Um, I don't know, seeing as how I just left my old job, a ball park figure would be around….none. None at all." Cruz replied matter-of-factly.

"Look, cut the shit kid. You need to take off work. I can help you convince Leighton back at the station. For right now, act like all we found was this body."

"Blake, why the hell are you acting like this?" Cruz asked.

"Kid, you read the message. I'm a target. If the other investigators that'll be arriving in about five minutes see this, I'll be kicked off the case due to conflict of interest or some shit. I can't sit at home and idly do nothing. I need your help Lucas." This was the first time Cruz recalled in their short, relationship (that seemed like a lifetime) that Blake called him by his first name, and not rookie or kid. It was refreshing.

"Sure Blake, let's do this. I can keep my cool if you can. But, on one condition." Lucas Cruz never agreed to anything without some just compensation, "We do this together."

"Yeah….that was my plan. Jesus rookie…."

The new alliance began to scan the scene. Cruz was thinking about the job he just obtained and was about to lose, while Blake was thinking, for the first time, how much he wished Jayden was here with those damn glasses. What did he call them? ARTY? ARNY? ARI? Something stupid like that.

Then the other cops showed up. As first responders, Cruz and Blake had to answer all of the detectives' questions. All the many, many, many questions about what they found, where they found it, and where they had stepped around the location where it was found.

Blake was fine. He was used to all the questions, and holding his cool while he answered them. He had been on both sides of an interrogation before, this wasn't his first rodeo. Cruz on the other hand, had never received the grilling questions of an interrogation, and with every evidence related question, Cruz's mentality was slowly slipping towards the brink of cracking. He'd never been good under pressure.

But they both made it through unscathed, and successfully kept their little secret, secret. They left with haste.

"So, Blake, where to next?" Cruz asked?

"I don't know, let me think. Let's see…..the body was at the same location as Jeremy Bowles' body. I'm sure of it. Now I believe the victim was at the wrong place, at the exact wrong time. So….shit, Jeremy's scene was where I met Jayden. You aren't going to like it, but chronologically, the next place I went was the station. We need to go to the station."

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Detective Lucas Cruz

Sunday, April 12, 2012

6:57 a.m.

Philadelphia Precinct

Blake and Cruz arrived at the precinct about 20 minutes later. They needed to get in and out as quick as possible, and find the next clue, if there was one.

"Ok, kid, it's time for you to prove yourself to me. Take this walkie," Blake said to Cruz as they were sitting in Blake's cruiser, "Check my desk for another scrap of paper. When you find it, or give up, buzz me on the walkie from the bathroom. MAKE SURE IT"S EMPTY!"

"Gotcha' Blake. I can do this" Cruz said, leaving the cruiser and entering the station.

Cruz walked to Blake's desk and sat down. For some odd reason, he felt empowered. He first started to search the top of the desk. He found nothing. Blake never seemed like the guy to have such an immaculate desk, but it was spotless. He checked the drawers, same thing. A whole lot of nothing. Cruz got up to call Blake on the walkie, when Ash walked over to him.

"Rookie, I need to talk to you." Ash said, walking up to Cruz. Cruz was beginning to feel the pressure rise.

"Yes, Ash, whatcha need?"

"Where's Blake?"

"Not sure. I haven't seen him since the crime scene. He sent me back here to grab him a coffee. I don't know why though."

"Yeah, Blake hates the coffee here. Hmm…anyways, have him call you when you see him."

"Yeah, ok Ash. For sure. See you later."

"See you, rookie."

Cruz breathed a sigh of relief. He walked back to the bathroom and pulled out the walkie talkie.

"Shit!" Cruz mumbled under his breath. Was there a fucking meeting in the bathroom? There were like eight guys in here.

Cruz walked up to the urinal and acted like he was relieving himself. He needed another place to call Blake. Cruz walked towards the bathroom door, making sure to wash his hands on the way out. He looked around the precinct for a quiet place besides the cell block. He looked across the hall and saw a small broom closet. He hoped it was unlocked.

Cruz made his way over to the closet and toggled the handle. The closet popped open. And then he noticed it wasn't a closet, but a small, backroom office. He turned on the walkie.

"Blake, you there?" Cruz said over the walkie talkie.

"Yeah, kid, I'm here. Whatdya' got?"

"Nothing. Abso-fucking-lutely nothing." That line brought back memories for Blake.

"Kid, it has to be there, check again."

"Blake, this zone is hot. I already got seen by Ash. I'm calling you from a coat closet because the bathroom's full. This is my career on….on the…."

"Kid, what is it?!"

And that's when Cruz saw it. Sitting on the desk in the closet was a note. It was what he was looking for.

"Give me a sec, Blake."

The paper read, "In his **SHALLOW** heart, he felt the sting, the **INANE** chatter of those less intelligent than him. And all of it just **HUMILIATES** him." Cruz didn't recognize the writing. It didn't mean anything to him. But the three of the words were highlighted. Shallow, inane, and humiliates.

"Wait….shit! it's an anagram!"

Cruz took the another paper and wrote down the letters in the words. SHALLOWINANEHUMILIATES.

"Ok…take this….the letter here…shift it over here….and bam. NATHANIELWILLIAMSHOUSE. Nathaniel William's house! Got it. Blake, do you read?"

"Gotcha kid. What is it?"

"I got the paper. It was sitting on the desk in this closet. Funny thing is it's an anagram. I'll show you in the car, but what I got is Nathaniel William's house."

"WHAT!? Say again, I didn't copy" Blake exclaimed.

"Nathaniel William's house." Cruz reiterated.

"Holy shit….kid, get out here now. ASAP."

"Blake, why the…"

"NOW KID!" Blake screamed.

Cruz rushed out of the station. Whatever he had just found, it was huge. Blake had some explaining to do. Cruz got into the car.

"Kid, don't talk. I'll explain everything on the way there. But you have one chance right here, right now, to get out of the car, and save your own ass from whatever is about to happen."

"No chance Blake. I'm in this with you."

"Good. Alright kid, you ready? We're going off the record."


	6. Chapter 6-Hello Norman

As always fav, review, and most of all, enjoy!

* * *

Norman Jayden

Sunday, April 12, 2012

5:10 a.m.

Manhattan Area

"Amanda, you need to go get in my car, I'm going to check out the scene." Norman said, finally coming down from his explosion of adrenaline.

"Ok…thank you...again..." Norman could tell Amanda was still shaken. This, he knew, was understandable, seeing as how she just shot a man.

Jayden knew what he had to do now. He didn't have enough time to do a normal, traditional search. He had to use the scanning function on ARI, which means he might hit Triptocaine withdrawal. You see, ARI has some very negative effects when not counterbalanced with Tripto, but Tripto had some horrible effects when taken at any time. Norman knew he had to risk it….but he didn't want to at all. He was scared.

For the first time in six months, he slipped on that scanning glove and donned the sunglasses. The world immediately took on a bluish hue. Norman flicked his palm open, and the greenish scanning circle shot out from his palm, scanning the area for clues. There first thing he noticed was the blood trail leading into the back of the alley. This had to be the killer's. Norman scanned the first drop he came to. No name came up, meaning the killer wasn't in CODIS, the Combined DNA Index System. This was a sample of the killer's DNA none the less, meaning Norman could cross reference it with any other DNA traces and confirm where this guy had been. Norman followed the blood trail to the end of the alley, or rather the fence separating the two parts of the alley. The killer had climbed up on top of the dumpster and hopped the fence.

"Hmm….what is this?" Norman asked himself, finding a small piece of fabric with a bit of blood on it. "Killer's blood…must be killer's clothes. Too bad it's just some simple, cheap hoodie."

Norman took a look over his shoulder to make sure Amanda was still ok, and then hopped over the fence. There was blood on the ground, but not a lot. Again, the unnamed attacker's blood.

"Must've been a through and through shoulder shot. No bone, no arteries, just pain and a bit of blood, though I'm no doctor."

The blood trail led to a street. Norman walked out onto the side walked and looked for the blood trail, but it ended there, on the sidewalk.

"Hey, you, gentleman in the suit!" Norman snapped his head around to see a younger guy running towards him, yelling. "I need ya help!"

"What is it?" Norman inquired.

"Some dickbag stole my cab! You gotta do…something! I just need some fucking help!"

"Sir, I'm sorry, but I can't help you. You have to file a report with the police." Norman went back into the alley. He knew who had stolen the cab.

"Dude, what the fuck?! Get back here! Are you really just going to walk away!?"

Norman didn't like leaving the cabbie. He knew it was bullshit, but it would be fighting for a lost cause. His cab, and the killer, were long gone.

Norman hopped back over the fence and walked to his car. There was nothing left for him in the alley. Norman walked to the driver's side of the car and got in. He started the car and began to drive.

"So…Amanda…how are you…doing?" Norman asked. Norman never was good at talking to girls, nor was he good at anything involving personal relationships.

"Uh…good, I guess. Did I…kill him?"

"No, you shot him in the shoulder, through and through. Sadly, he'll be just fine."

"Who was he!? And who are you for that matter!?" Amanda said, her voice escalating.

"I have not a clue who he was. Me? I'm Norman Jayden. I'd be surprised if you haven't heard my name."

"Wait…THE Norman Jayden? Holy shit! You do realize who I am, right?"

"The daughter of Carter Blake, my partner in the Origami Affair?"

"He always said you could put two and two together and get four, hahaha!"

"Wait…CARTER BLAKE complemented ME? I think I might die."

"Wow, you even pronounce dad's name like he said. 'Cahtah'. I love your accent."

"Yeah, those were some interesting moments." Just then Norman's phone rang, "Shit, I gotta take this. Hello?"

"Norman, where the fuck are you?" It was Norman's boss.

"Boss, I'm not coming in any time soon. I have a huge case of origamical proportions," Norman liked that, it was a cool word. 'Origamical', "I'm got a huge lead on the Butcher. I gotta go, bye." Norman hung up abruptly. It was better to ask for forgiveness than permission with his boss.

"Holy shit, dude! Did you just hang up on your boss?" Amanda asked in astonishment.

"Eh, he'll get over it"

"Ok, I like you Norman, you're a lot less of a pussy than my dad said."

"I don't know whether to consider that a compliment or a put down." Norman liked this girl too. She had a certain spark about her. "We're here."

"Where?" Amanda inquired.

"My apartment"

* * *

Norman Jayden

Sunday, April 12, 2012

5:35 a.m.

Norman's Apartment

"Wow. Nice place, bro" Amanda stated.

"Thank you, Ms. Blake. I'm going to be in my room, reviewing the case file. Please, make yourself at home. If you need anything, just knock."

"Gotcha!" Amanda exclaimed, popping open one of Norman's beers from his fridge and jumping on his couch.

Norman walked into his room and sat at his desk. He suddenly felt a cold sweat coming on, but he brushed it off. Jayden put his ARI glasses on, turning the room in his semi-upscale apartment into a lush, autumn forest. This was Jayden's favorite ARI environment. He opened a case file, matching the unnamed DNA from it to his attacker's. A perfect match.

Just then, there seemed to be a glitch in the system, his environment seizing around him, the forest slipping into walls of binary. He felt liquid run from his nose to the top of his upper lip. Blood. Norman was scared shitless. And then, everything was calm.

Norman heard footsteps coming towards him, ones of a light build. A soothing voice, seductive, yet pure slipped over him.

"Hello, Norman."


	7. Chapter 7-ARI

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"Hello, Norman."

Norman jumped out of his chair and whipped around. The world around him seized violently, switching between Norman's apartment, an autumn forest, an underwater cavern, and a high plateau, before finally settling into a room of darkness, with binary code swirling across the walls.

"Who…who is that? Who is there?" Norman asked in genuine fright, "Where are you?"

"I'm right here, you silly goose!"

Norman turned again in this disorienting space, but when he did this time, he saw her. A young girl approached him, slowly sauntering with a sway in her hips. She couldn't have been older than 18, but then again, Norman questioned if she was even real. He had no clue what the fuck was going on.

"Who are you?"

The girl chuckled, "You know who I am, silly. I'm Arianna!"

"I don't know any Arianna, and I most certainly don't know you!"

"Jeez Norman…did you hit your head? Here, just let me do…this!" And with that, the mystery figure threw a cup of water all over Norman.

As the water hit his face, it was like he was emerging from an ocean into a world of light. The darkness was transfigured, shaping into forms from the light anew. The world around him became an old Irish pub, with singing, dancing, laughter, and fun. Norman wasn't having any fun.

"Are you going to buy me a drink, Norman?"

With this, Norman snapped back into his body, swirling around on the barstool he had been placed on.

"What…no, I'm not. Who the fuck are you?" Norman inquired of the girl sitting next to him who inquired about a drink.

"Fine, I'll buy. We'll have two Triptocolas, please."

"Tripto…Triptocola? Where did you…?"

"Oh come on Norman, everyone knows about Triptocola. Well, everyone here does."

Triptocola was a concoction Norman had created to make his Triptocaine addiction more appetizing. It was pretty much a mix of Tripto with any budget soda Norman could find. It made ingestion much easier, and it didn't involve destroying his nasal passage. He was the only one who knew about it. Well, except…

This is when it hit Norman. Arianna was a manifestation of ARI, a sort of avatar that Jayden's augmented subconscious had created. He remembered recording an audio diary all about Triptocola, its effects, how they varied from taking in Tripto by insufflation, and why he liked it better. Jayden was hit with a wall of fear. He was now trapped within his own augmented reality within his subconscious mind.

"You who? Earth to Norman," ARI said with a giggle. Norman refused to call her Arianna. It was too humanizing to give a name to a parasite, other than parasite, "We need to talk."

"About what?" Norman didn't like talking to this thing, but he knew it was his only way out of here, if there was one.

"OK, first off, cut the shit. I know you're thinking that I'm just some program, but I have feelings too. I don't want you to be trapped in here, so I'm going to help you, but it's going to take a little work." It said this as if it read Norman's mind, knowing that he was thinking that this thing didn't deserve the name it had bestowed upon itself. "Now think Norman, how can…"

And just like that, Arianna was gone, and the pub around Jayden with her.

"Norman! Wake up!"

Norman's head exploded in pain. The voice boomed out over him, blowing him backwards onto the ground. His heart started racing. Suddenly, he was jolted off the ground like a bolt of lightning cracking in the sky.

Norman abruptly awoke, his head down on his desk. He had fallen asleep. All that crazy stuff had been a dream. He walked out into his apartment, Amanda fast asleep on the couch, the TV still running. Jayden had never had an experience like that, even when he was hitting the Tripto hard.

Norman heard a sudden noise outside his window. It sounded like it was coming from the dumpster below. As he approached the window, he thought he saw a cloaked figure out on his fire escape. It suddenly disappeared, and he heard the noise again. He opened the window and stepped onto the fire escape, looking down into the alleyway. He saw multiple shady, masked figures down in the alley, all conversing around a barrel with fire in it.

"Just a bunch of noisy homeless people," Jayden said, dismissing them as threats. He really wished he could come out of fight mode and stop seeing everything as a threat. "Hey, could you guys keep it down?!"

And with this, the hobos scattered. Norman really didn't mean to scare them off, he just needed some sleep. So, Jayden decided to go back in.

As Norman stepped back towards his window to climb back in, he heard the fire escape whine and pop. He watched as a section of the old scaffolding popped out of its brick and mortar tomb, coming free from the wall. It began to bend back, tipping towards the alleyway, as Norman dove for the window sill. He missed.

"SHIT!" The bad-luck stricken Detective shouted as he rolled back from the window, smacking his back on the railing and falling into the alleyway, hitting his face on the the dumpster on the way down.

He rose to his feet, slightly concussed and disoriented.

As Norman regained a slight bit of balance, he looked up and realized he was surrounded. Around him were the masked men who were hobos a minute ago, but were now taking the form of professional assassins, and in the center of them was him. Scott Shelby, private eye turned Origami Killer, a demon that had haunted Norman for several months.

"You…you're fucking dead! I watched you fall into a trash compactor!"

"Hello, Norman. That is where you are wrong. I fell into a pile of trash, where I stayed for two days until I quietly slipped out of the docks. Ever since then, I've been searching for you, waiting for the perfect time to strike. So what'll it be, you pompous little shit, die begging for your life, or die fighting for it?"

Suddenly, Jayden was filled with an absolute rage. He rushed at Shelby, leading his head straight for his sternum, but he missed. Norman stopped his charge and turned, only to be met with a vicious blow from one of Shelby's henchmen. Norman's chin snapped, but he quickly regained his composure, using the momentum from the punch to continue to spin and release a roundhouse kick. The kick connected with the masked figure's neck, snapping his spine in half. The figure fell with a dead thud. Another punch came flying at Norman, but Norman blocked it, snapping the assailant's arm in half, throwing a snap jab of his own, right into the neck of his attacker. The figure fell, suffocating on his own collapsed trachea. Norman then took the offensive, clotheslining the next masked man he came across. He too, fell with a thud, and did not get back up. The next man threw a wild snap kick, catching Norman's gut. But Norman also caught the attacker's foot. Jayden brought his elbow down into his enemy's knee, breaking his leg, and then picking him up and driving him into the edge of the dumpster. The man slumped, bleeding profusely from the back of his head. A relentless fury of blows came flying from three attackers to Jayden's left, but Norman was able to block these attacks. He knocked the three men to the ground, and a fourth attacker pulled a pistol on him. He swung the pistol like a nightstick, Jayden easily disarming him. Norman put two rounds into the assailant's chest, and then fired three bullets at the three men attempting to get up from the ground. They each fell back to the ground with gunshot wounds in between their eyes.

Jayden had eliminated all of the masked men, and, as if following stage cues, Scott Shelby reappeared in front of him. Norman drew his firearms, taking aim at the lunatic's head. He stood there, staring at Jayden, like he had in that Old Warehouse.

"Please…help me…don't do this…" Shelby pleaded with Norman. This time, Norman refused to hesitate.

"Fuck you."

Norman pulled the trigger twice, but nothing came out. His gun's slide jumped back, and stayed in that position. It was empty.

The rain started to fall from the sky. The weather man had called for heavy rain.

A sick smile crept across the face of the Origami Killer as he drew his weapon.

Norman's face sunk into an expressionless gaze as he dropped the empty gun

Four shots rang out, tearing through Norman's torso. Norman recoiled back, stepping to try and regain his balance, clutching his chest. He then dropped to his knees, no longer able to stand due to the pain. Shelby sauntered up to the almost lifeless Detective Norman Jayden, who was now bleeding out, and just stared at him. Norman looked up into Shelby's eyes, and he saw nothing; it was like Shelby was just a husk. Shelby saw the same look in Norman's eyes. Norman attempted to speak, but his mouth was dry, and his vocal chords unresponsive. Shelby felt a dry sense of pity for the poor man, but this was soon replaced by his true motive—the desire for revenge.

Scott Shelby raised his gun to the forehead of his enemy. Norman Jayden closed his eyes, embracing his death, for he knew that was coming next.

Shelby pulled the trigger, and Norman's head snapped back as the bullet tore through his skull and out of the back of his head. He fell back, his body smacking the ground, dead.


End file.
